Jan 15 2009
By the Way
There isn’t usually live entertainment on the bus. When I’m not reading The New Yorker, looking out the window is usually amusing enough.
Going home from the gym, I wait near Lake Merritt, with many busy birds to watch. Canada: If you’re missing your geese, they’re right here.
The bus passes several amusingly named businesses: Fadz 2 Braidz, which is never open and has both its doors and windows barred, despite the “Open” sign in the windows and on the door; Immaculate Hair and Accessories, which has had two of its windows boarded up for months, just giving a glimpse of wigs in the remaining one; “This ‘Bud’s’ For You” (its actual punctuation), a now-vacated florist (owner in jail for badness of pun, perhaps?) and a tarot card emporium or shoe emporium – you decide. There are signs for both on the same window. Get your palm read while saving your soles? I may join Bud in pun jail for that one.
It also passes what I at first took to be a Mansion on the Hill, but on Googling (what did we ever do without it?) turned out to be an old folks’ home (what is the PC term for that?), and a slightly dilapidated one at that. The mansion is on a hill, and has suitably gothic wrought iron fence, some of which can barely contain enormous cacti, and it has its name spelled out in topiary: ALTENHEIM. I should have just let it be a mystery. Reality is never as good as fantasy.
What I find the most charming, though, is a certain garden. It’s across the road from what looks like a motel à la My Name Is Earl which has been converted to apartments. The garden itself is maybe a couple of feet wide and is right beside a freeway onramp, bathed all day in continual car exhaust. Yet it valiantly survives, complete with a scarecrow, a statue of a deer, and yes, a garden gnome. I am sure it belongs to someone in that apartment building, bringing some joy and beauty to his/her life. And anyone passing by.
4 Responses to “By the Way”
There is beauty all around us, one has to be open and be aware of the positive things around us instead of just looking for what’s wrong with everything and everyone.
We have enough geese, thank you. There have been talks of using the geese to feed the destitute. In fact, I think it may our geese that took down that unfortunate A320 yesterday. Luckily, everyone survived.
There is quite an art in naming a business/entitling a book etc., One of those things that is easier said than done.
I find you are very observant, Suzy…makes life so much more interesting.
jx
I heard that about the geese. Small world – the pilot was from the Bay Area!
Roast goose for the destitute may be an idea whose time has come!